{"id":21607,"date":"2025-07-09T08:47:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T12:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=21607"},"modified":"2025-07-09T11:27:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T15:27:23","slug":"vin79","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin79\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaypro 2000"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Kaypro 2000<\/h2>\n<p>[Vin79]<\/p>\n<p>The Kaypro 2000 was notable as Kaypro&#8217;s first and only MS-DOS\/IBM-compatible portable computer, marking the company&#8217;s shift from CP\/M-based systems to the emerging industry standard of the mid-1980s. Its rugged, brushed-aluminum &#8220;laptop&#8221; design featured a detachable keyboard, a pop-up 3.5&#8243; floppy drive, and an internal rechargeable battery offering up to four hours of use\u2014features that were innovative for its time and targeted at mobile professionals.<a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141402318-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-21614\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141402318-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Kaypro II\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141402318-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141402318-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141402318-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141402318-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141402318-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141402318-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141402318-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141402318-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Its claim to fame lies in being one of the earliest truly portable, battery-powered IBM-compatible computers, blending style with practical portability and helping to bridge the gap between &#8220;luggable&#8221; computers and modern laptops. While it was praised for its design and compatibility, it was released into a rapidly evolving market and did not achieve widespread popularity, overshadowed by competitors like Tandy and Toshiba.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Kaypro Corporation<\/li>\n<li><strong>Released<\/strong>: 1985<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Laptop<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: USD $1,995 (CAD ~$7,000 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.33 (330 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169789978 BCX0\">Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: Intel 8088, 4.77 MHz<\/li>\n<li><strong>RAM<\/strong>: 256 KB standard (expandable up to 768 KB)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: Single 3.5&#8243; 720 KB floppy disk drive (pop-up mechanism)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Display<\/strong>: 9-inch monochrome LCD screen<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keyboard<\/strong>: Detachable, full-sized<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ports<\/strong>: Serial, parallel, and external floppy drive ports<\/li>\n<li><strong>Modem (optional)<\/strong>: 1200 baud internal modem<\/li>\n<li><strong>Battery<\/strong>: Internal rechargeable battery (up to 4 hours of use)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Case<\/strong>: Rugged, brushed aluminum &#8220;laptop&#8221; design<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weight<\/strong>: Approximately 13 pounds (5.9 kg)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCXW50331614 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW50331614 BCX0\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW50331614 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141320170-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-21616\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141320170-400x533.jpg\" alt=\"Kaypro 2000 keyboard\" width=\"400\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141320170-400x533.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141320170-240x320.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141320170-160x213.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141320170-768x1023.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141320170-1153x1536.jpg 1153w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141320170-1538x2048.jpg 1538w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141320170-360x479.jpg 360w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250709_141320170-scaled.jpg 1922w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Operating System<\/strong>: MS-DOS 2.11 as its primary operating system<\/li>\n<li><strong>Programming Languages<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>GW-BASIC (included with the system)<\/li>\n<li>BASICA-compatible interpreters<\/li>\n<li>Turbo Pascal<\/li>\n<li>Microsoft BASIC<\/li>\n<li>C (various compilers)<\/li>\n<li>FORTRAN<\/li>\n<li>dBase II (for database programming and scripting)<\/li>\n<li>Other languages compatible with the IBM PC and MS-DOS, such as Assembly and Pascal variants<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Notables<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>First &amp; Only Kaypro Laptop: The Kaypro 2000 was Kaypro\u2019s first and only portable MS-DOS\/IBM-compatible laptop, marking the company\u2019s attempt to enter the rapidly growing DOS market.<\/li>\n<li>Industrial Design: Its rugged, brushed-aluminum case with rubber protection grips gave it a distinctive, industrial look. The design was so striking that it earned nicknames like the &#8220;Darth Vader of laptops&#8221; and was described as &#8220;more Ferrari than Jeep&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>Pop-Up Floppy Drive: Featured an innovative pop-up 3.5&#8243; floppy drive, which was unusual for laptops of the era.<\/li>\n<li>Detachable Keyboard: One of the few laptops of its time with a fully detachable, full-sized keyboard.<\/li>\n<li>Automatic Power-On: Powering on was as simple as opening the cover, a rare feature in the mid-1980s.<\/li>\n<li>Battery-Powered: Offered up to four hours of use on its internal battery\u2014impressive for its time.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Porsche of lap-sized computers&#8221; (Chicago Tribune).<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Snazzy&#8221; and &#8220;more Ferrari than Jeep&#8221; (PC Magazine).<\/li>\n<li>Transitional Device: Helped bridge the gap between bulky &#8220;luggables&#8221; and modern laptops, but arrived late to the market as competitors were already advancing portable computing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Donated By<\/strong>: Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kaypro 2000 [Vin79] The Kaypro 2000 was notable as Kaypro&#8217;s first and only MS-DOS\/IBM-compatible portable computer, marking the company&#8217;s shift from CP\/M-based systems to the emerging industry standard of the mid-1980s. Its rugged, brushed-aluminum &#8220;laptop&#8221; design featured a detachable keyboard, a pop-up 3.5&#8243; floppy drive, and an internal rechargeable battery offering up to four hours [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - 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